You might think the chances of falling victim to
hypothermia are slim to none as you glide across the water in a
seaworthy, sturdy, high-performance bass boat. And how could you
possibly succumb to hypothermia as you cast away while standing
with both feet planted firmly on the front deck of the boat?
All it takes is one rogue wave to throw you overboard while the
boat is crossing the lake. And what if the trolling motor shaft
collides with a submerged limb? In either case, you are going in
the drink. And in both cases, and especially so during the early
bass club tournament season, you can become unconscious within
an hour if your body is not prepared for this silent killer.
Hypothermia is a condition that exists when the body’s
temperature drops below 95 degrees. This can be caused by
exposure to water or air from a combination of both
environments. As a result, the loss of body heat results in a
loss of dexterity, loss of consciousness, and eventually loss of
life. A few minutes in cold water makes it very difficult to
swim, even to keep you afloat. In addition, a sudden, unexpected
entry into cold water may cause a reflexive “gasp” allowing
water to enter the lungs. Drowning can be almost instantaneous.
According to BoatU.S., the startling news is that half of all
drowning victims do not actually die from water filling their
lungs, but instead from the fatal effects of cold water. And
what might come as a surprise to some, water does not have to be
icy to be cold enough to bring on hypothermia, it just has to be
colder than you. Cold water is considered to be water less than
70 degrees, but imagine, even 80 degree water is still almost 20
degrees colder than your body temperature. Given time, your
body’s core temperature will drop as you lose heat to the water.
Going overboard is sometimes unavoidable, and there are steps
you can take to save your life and that of your fishing partner.
First, if you see yourself about to fall in, if possible, cover
your face with your hands. This may sound strange, but quickly
becoming immersed in icy water can cause “torso reflex,” or a
sudden involuntary intake of breath. Covering your mouth is an
attempt to avoid gulping water into your lungs when this
happens.
Next, try to hold onto something that floats. If you are wearing
a life preserver, then you are one step ahead. If there are more
floating in the water, grab those to use as floats. The idea is
to get as much of your body out of the water as possible, so
there is less area that can lose heat.
Loss of body heat puts hypothermia on the fast track. That said,
conserving what heat you already have inside is important.
Tighten up your jacket, vest, and shoes, whatever you are
wearing. The water trapped inside your layers of clothes will
warm up from your body heat and act as a wetsuit. Whatever you
do, avoid removing any clothing.
Do not try to swim unless it is to reach a nearby boat, another
person, or a floating object on which you can climb or use for
floatation. Swimming pumps out the warm water trapped between
your skin and your clothes and brings in colder water. Swimming
can also cause debilitating cramps. Furthermore, the movement
pumps warm blood to your extremities, where it cools quickly.
Swimming can reduce your survival time by almost 50 percent.
Stay as still as possible, no matter how painful. Intense
shivering and severe pain in cold water are natural reflexes
that will not kill you, but cold water can. Getting into the “H.E.L.P.”
position (explained below) may help you keep your cold arms and
legs still.
This position, the Heat Escape Lessening Position, or H.E.L.P.,
aims to protect some of the areas of your body most prone to
heat loss: the head, neck, sides of the chest cavity and the
groin area, and if you are wearing a life jacket, it can be very
effective. To reach this position, you should bring your knees
up as close as possible to your chest and grasp your hands
together over your calves. If this is too difficult, or too
unstable, cross your calves, bend your knees and pull your legs
close to your body. Cross your arms and tuck your hands flat
under your armpits.
When several people are stranded in the water, they should form
a huddle. Facing inward, they should link their arms over each
other’s shoulders or under each other’s arms to get as close as
possible, to share as much heat as possible. If there are
children or seniors along, they should go in the center of the
huddle so they can receive warmth front and back. Two or more
people huddled together can increase survival time by 50
percent.
These survival positions are most effective when the person in
the water is wearing a life jacket. If the person is not wearing
a PFD and is forced to swim, they should do so as slowly as
possible. Anything that can be used for flotation — logs, parts
of the boat, gas cans, whatever — should be utilized for
flotation. The swimmer can also try breathing into his clothing
to put air — and hopefully some floatation — into his torso
area.
The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is
a national nonprofit education and research organization funded
by the voluntary contributions of its 575,000 members. BoatU.S.
is the nation’s largest recreational boat owners association.
The organization offers the only free online boating safety
course, among other member benefits. For more information, go to
www.BoatUS.com/Foundation.
